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Sail Tails

I don't market these anymore, but I think they have advantages. The light propellers have 3 different colors to help you see wind angle, they start and stop instantly, not like a daisy as they were like a heavy flywheel that were hard to start and slow to stop in changing wind speed and are on mini bearings. The center housing is on bearings also.
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The tails with the triangle attachment allows no twisting. I use only one weight of flags, but in different lengths. Light winds allow me to use shorter tails. The weight of the vanes and tail are slightly biased to the rear to reduce the windshield wiper effect. I sold some of them to the Airforce to help them check the wind when launching the smaller drones.
Unfortunately They were expensive enough that I couldn't make money and sell them at a decent price.
 
I went with the ball design rather than the propeller to start with.
I played around a little with 3 different sail tails today with wind meter in hand. I "borrowed" some 5 oz polyester material from my wife's stash. Using a wind meter it took over 8 mph sustained winds before the 5 oz material went horizontal. It definitely doesn't register/react in a noticeable manner below 3 mph. I also made up a couple of clips like Mr.Lambert showed us to see the difference. Thats the cats meow there. Ill be makingg more of those. This was actually kind of interesting to observe. Guess as we get older we are easily entertained.
 

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Put them in a tube an the put it out in the sun & see if they'll U up. The U shape keeps them from flipping around like tape.
 
Put them in a tube an the put it out in the sun & see if they'll U up. The U shape keeps them from flipping around like tape.
I'm going to try an experiment with one of yours this week. I'm
going to fold it in half, length wise, and leave a heavy crease. Maybe
go as far as a V-shape.
 
I'm going to try an experiment with one of yours this week. I'm
going to fold it in half, length wise, and leave a heavy crease. Maybe
go as far as a V-shape.
I creased some that i had left out overnight at a match and they got wet. It didn't help at the time and those never U'ddd back up. Seems some stay ridged & some don't. Maybe it's the heavier ones, idk.
I don't know the 1.9 material. If it's made the same as the Spinnaker ripstop the .75 & 1..5 ?
 
Well, that was a chit show. Material I received weighed 1/3 the flags i was using. Literally. I ordered 1.6 oz ripstop. No problems processing to size and making 1 test flag. Set it up outside with my previous construction flagging I had already used. Dang things performed about the same. I went in and weighed the material I ordered (33" x 58") and it weighed about where it should for 1.6 oz material. Am I missing something here? Did I order the wrong weight material? I haven't tried forming them yet if that matters.
Plain old ripstop nylon is not the same as spinnaker fabric. Spinnaker is a fabric for making sails for boats and it has a coating that makes the fabric water repellant and non-breathable. Ripstop nylon can bought be coated or uncoated, but it is not the same as spinnaker fabric.

I believe it's the special coating of spinnaker that helps a sail tail hold it's shape after forming.

I hope that info helps you.
 
Plain old ripstop nylon is not the same as spinnaker fabric. Spinnaker is a fabric for making sails for boats and it has a coating that makes the fabric water repellant and non-breathable. Ripstop nylon can bought be coated or uncoated, but it is not the same as spinnaker fabric.

I believe it's the special coating of spinnaker that helps a sail tail hold it's shape after forming.

I hope that info helps you.
I had no idea what this would turn into knowledge wise. Just wow. Thanks for the info
 
Plain old ripstop nylon is not the same as spinnaker fabric. Spinnaker is a fabric for making sails for boats and it has a coating that makes the fabric water repellant and non-breathable. Ripstop nylon can bought be coated or uncoated, but it is not the same as spinnaker fabric.

I believe it's the special coating of spinnaker that helps a sail tail hold it's shape after forming.

I hope that info helps you.
correct

Jeff
 

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